Metal boat construction



Aug. 14, 1962 F. A. LEISEN METAL BOAT CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 7, 1960 INVENTOR.

FREERIC A. LEISEN' ATTORNEYS F. A. LEISEN METAL BOAT CONSTRUCTION Aug. 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April '7, 1960 lllul m T NS E H V L A m m D F I Y ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,048,858 METAL BOAT CONSTRUCTION Frederic A. Leisen, 50 Moross Road, Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. Filed Apr. 7, 1960, er. No. 20,641 2 Claims. ((31. 9-2) The present invention relates generally to boat construction and refers more specifically to a metal boat adapted to be mass produced in sections, compactly packaged and easily assembled without special tools.

The advantages of metal boats over boats constructed of wood and similar material have long been known. The metal boats are subject to less deterioration than the wooden boats, require less maintenance than other types of boats and have an extremely high strength to weight ratio. In addition metal boats are adaptable to known methods of quantity production. In the past shipping costs of quantity produced metal boats has restricted the market therefor. Further where such boats have been provided partially assembled it has been difiicult for the average person to assemble the unattached portions without special skills or tools.

Therefore one of the purposes of the present invention is to provide a metal boat construction which may be quantity produced in sections which are adapted to be compactly packaged for shipment.

Another purpose is to provide metal boat construction for quantity production in individual sections including means for easily assembling the sections into a complete boat structure without use of special tools or skills.

More specifically it is one of the purposes of the present invention to provide metal boat construction comprising a plurality of easily manufactured separate sections which are adapted to be secured together into a complete boat structure along the usual structural members of the boat construction, and means for securing the sections to said structural members in relatively smooth joints.

Still more specifically it is one of the purposes of the present invention to provide a metal boat construction comprising a right hand and left hand bow section adapted to be connected along the keel of the boat and a right and left hand stern section also adapted to be connected along the keel of the boat construction and to be secured to the bow sections at one end thereof along a rib of the boat construction, and a one-piece transom secured to the other end of the stern sections along a second rib of the boat.

Another object is to provide metal boat construction as set forth above wherein the connections between the sections, keel and ribs comprise overlapped portions of the sections adjacent the rib or keel to which they are to be attached, said ribs and keel being hollow, and expanding rivets extending through the overlapped portions of the sections and into the hollow portion of the keel and ribs.

Another object is to provide metal boat structure as set forth above and including metal seats extending transverse thereof secured to opposite sides of the boat structure by means of brackets secured to the metal skin sections of the boat by means of expanding rivets.

Another object is to provide metal boat structure as set forth above wherein bow sections having a different length may be attached to the stern sections or additional sections may be added between the bow and stern sections to provide boats of different length.

Another object is to provide metal boat construction as set forth above which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and efiicient in use.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a metal boat construction according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side perspective view of the metal boat construction illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged section view of the deck plate of the metal boat construction illustrated in FIGURE 1 taken on the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged section view of the connection between the bow and stern sections of the boat skin and boat rib taken on the line 4-4 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged section view of the metal boat construction shown in FIGURE 1 taken on the line 5--5 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a partly broken away enlarged section view of the boat structure shown in FIGURE 1 taken on the line 6-6 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged section view of the connection between the stern sections of the boat skin and the keel of the boat taken on line 7--7 in FIGURE 1.

With particular reference to the figures a specific embodiment of the metal boat construction of the invention will now be disclosed.

The metal boat construction, generally indicated 10, illustrated in FIGURE 1 comprises four separate metal skin sections 12, 14, 16 and 18 and a transom section 20 connected as shown to form a complete boat construction. The metal boat construction 10 further includes the transverse seats 22, deck plate 24-, keel 26, gunwale extrusion 28 and oarlocks 30 attached to the boat construction as shown.

According to the invention the metal boat construction shown in FIGURE 1 is adapted to be manufactured in sections for compact packaging to facilitate shipping. In addition the metal boat construction as shown in the figures is particularly adapted in accordance with the invention for assembly by unskilled labor without the use of special tools.

More specifically the sections 12 and 14 form the bow of the boat construction 10 and comprise relatively thin metal sheets of aluminum or similar metal not subject to rapid deterioration when in contact with water over sustained periods. The bow sections 12 and 14 are formed, as shown best in FIGURES l and 2, to provide an exterior skin for the boat construction to which seats 22 and deck plate 24 may be secured by means of expandable rivets such as 32 shown best in FIGURE 4.

The bow sections 12 and 14 are overlapped and secured together along the keel of the boat construction illustrated in FIGURE 1 by means of expandable rivets extending therethrough and into the hollow keel member 26, as will be explained more fully in consideration of the connection of the stern sections 16 and 18 as shown in FIG- URE 7.

The stern sections 16 and 18 of the metal boat construction illustrated in FIGURE 1 also comprise relatively thin metal skin members of material similar to the bow sections. The stern sections 16 and 18 are also adapted to be produced in quantity in the form shown best in FIG- URES l, 2 and 6'. The stern sections 16 and 18 are adapted to overlap eachother along the keel 26 as best shown in FIGURE 6 and are secured together and to the reinforcing member or keel 26 by means of expanding rivets 32 as shown in FIGURE 7 which extend through the overlapped sections 16 and 18 and into the hollow keel.

The joint between the stern sections 16 and 18 is made water-tight by means of a waterproof mastic 19 applied to the overlapping portions of the sections 16 and 18 and to the keel member if so desired. One such mastic which construction 10.

has been found to work well with the metal boat construction disclosed is commercially available under the trade name Alumastic.

The joint betweenthe bow sections 12 and 14 and the keel 26 is similar to the joint between the stern members 16 and 18 as shown in FIGURE 7. Also the joint between the bow sections and stem sections of the metal boat construction 10 as'shown best in FIGURE 4, is similar to the joint illustrated in FIGURE 7. The front edge of the stern sections of the metal boat construction 10 are offset as shown in FIGURE 4 to receive the rear edges of the bow sections of the metal boat construction and the overlapping edge portions of the bow sections and stern sections are secured to the reinforcing member or rib 34 of the metal boat construction 10 by means of expanding rivets 32. Again mastic is provided between the contacting metal surfaces of the joint to provide a water-tight joint.

A single piece transom section is secured to the rear edges of the stern sections of the metal boat construction 10 by means of 'a joint entirely similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 4. The transom 20 is shaped as shown best in FIGURE 6 and includes stiffening ribs 36 formed as shown in FIGURES 1 and 6. Also it will be noted that the upper edge of the transom is recessed downwardly as at 38 and a wooden plank 40 extending transversely of the transom 20 is secured to the inner surface thereof to pro- .vide convenient means for attachment of outboard motors f to the metal boat construction It The upper edges of the stern sections 16 and 18 and the bow sections 12 and 14 are turned inwardly as illustrated best in FIGURE 6 and an extruded gunwale member 42 is secured thereto -to give added rigidity to the metal boat construction, to cover the relatively sharp edges of the bow and stern sections and to give a finished appearance to the completed metal boat construction 10. Likewise a small front deck plate 24 shaped as shown best in FIG- URES 1 and 3 is riveted to the extruded gunwale at the bow of the boat to give added strength to the assembled boat construction 10 and to lend a finished appearance thereto. The metal deck member 24 as shown best in FIGURE 3 extends over the end of the keel 26 due to the offset side portion 44 thereof, while the side portion 46 thereof extends over the extruded gunwale 42 and for a short distance over the bow sections of the metal boat As shown in FIGURE 3 the rear edge portion 48 of the front deck plate is turned down in an -arcuate cross-section providing a finished rear edge and strengthening the deck plate.

The metal boat construction 10 is further provided with transverse metal seats which, as best shown in FIGURES l and 2 extend between the opposite sides of the finished boat construction and are attached thereto by means of the expanding rivets 32 used throughout the boat construction. The connection of the seat to the metal skin sections of the boat construction is illustrated best in .FIGURE 5.

In FIGURES as shown brackets 50 made of extruded sections are secured to the boat skin .by rivets 32' to which the seats 22 are secured for attachment to the skin of the boat construction.

If desired bulkheads 51 extending laterally entirely across the boat beneath the seats and secured to the boat skin and seat by rivets 32 as shown in FIGURE may be provided atone edge of the seat to divide the boat into separate compartments and increase the rigidity thereof.

Oarlocks 30 as shown may also be secured to the themselves to those skilled in the art.

4 metal boat skin by means of expandable rivets 32 in desired locations. The longitudinally extending bumper ribs 52 of the boat construction 10 are formed integrally with the metal skin sections as shown best in FIGURE 6.

Thus applicant has provided a metal boat construction which is particularly adapted for quantity production, which is constructed in sections which may be compactly packaged for economical shipping and which may be readily assembled by unskilled labor without the use of special tools. Also, it will be noted that all of the joints of the metal boat construction of the invention are relatively smooth joints due to the expanding rivets extending into hollow structural members and are made at necessary construction joints inthe boat such as at the keel and ribs. I

Further it will be understood that applicants metal boat construction may be modified to provide different length boats by inserting other sections between the bow and stem sections or by providing different length bow or stern sections. Similarly the width of the bow and stern sections may be varied to provide a boat construction having a different width.

In addition it will be obvious that other modifications of the metal boat construction 10 will readily suggest It is therefore the intention to include all such modifications within the .scope of the present invention.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved metal boat construction in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Metal boat construction, comprising a pair of separate metal sections forming the bow of the boat, two different metal sections and a transom section forming the stern of the boat construction which sections are joined along the boat keel longitudinally and along reinforcing members transversely, each of said metal sections having edge portions overlapping edge portions of other metal sections, and means rigidly securing said edge portions together in overlapped position to form a complete water tight boat construction including a hollow metal reinforcing member positioned against the overlapped edge portions and expanding rivets the expanding portion of which extend through the overlapped edge portions and terminate within the hollow reinforcing members.

2. A reinforced joint construction for securing adjacent members together, comprising overlapping edge portions of the members, a hollow reinforcing member positioned against the overlapping edge portions, and an expanding rivet having an expanded portion and extending through the overlapped edge portions and into the reinforcing member to secure the adjacent members and reinforcing member together, the expanded portion of said rivet being within the hollow reinforcing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,548,398 Twitchell Aug. 4, 1925 1,674,655 Ruthenburg June 26, 1928 2,083,410 Stiver June 8, 1937 2,322,160 Schlagel June 15, 1943 2,415,495 Humphreys Feb. 11, 1947 2,585,344 Plaziak Feb. 12, 1952 2,877,682 Barry et al Mar. 17, 1959 2,918,031 Gunderson Dec. 22, 1959 

